Mixing cultures

I love mixing things up in my work. This piece uses a piece of Victorian stroppy quilt with the back of a hand embroidered Indian fragment. I have echoed the circles of the Indian piece with my own embroidery. I have made this little piece for our Winter Open Studios event which takes place at The Hearth on 17th and 18th November. Information about the event HERE

Bursary Opportunity

I was recently selected to be a member of the prestigious Textile Study Group so am very happy to share information about this bursary opportunity for someone who is just starting to teach and wants to develop  a skill or opportunity.
All the information is HERE

A Book of Stars

Made this a while ago but have forgotten to blog it. I have had a tatty piece of star patchwork coverlet for a while. It was very raggy but I really liked the patterns of the fabric and the way the original maker had put the starts together so making a book seemed the most appropriate way to separate them and show them off individually. The great thing about using a blog is gives me the chance to show you every page which doesn't suit the whole Instagram/ Facebook format. Enjoy!

( Just realised my nails are filthy I had just been transplanting wallflowers and putting tulip bulbs in they are not usually so bad!)

Variations on a theme

Four collages using the same colour palette and some lovely old materials including part of the front of an Edwardian costume, little pieces unpicked from antique quilts and mixed in with old French printed linen.
I have just put these on Etsy but you will have noticed my prices have gone up a bit. This is because Etsy is charging much more than it used to for commission and then there is the listing fee, the VAT on the fees and then the  bill is in dollars and the pound is weak. I have thought about giving up selling through Etsy altogether and just continuing to sell direct to customers in my studio and at workshops but you will see that I won't be stocking my shop quite so regularly. I know lots of people sell through Instagram without any fees but it kind of spoils Instagram when it all becomes about things for sale rather than visuals and lifestyle.

Some Advice

The Cupboard

I have been clearing my parent's house and garage and am now down to the last few bits and pieces. This cupboard in the garage has now been exposed, it might have been a doll's house at one time though not mine.I would dearly love it but it is screwed into asbestos board so daren't take the risk of pulling it off. Full of lovely textures though. The dirty screwed up papers were on the front of the cupboard - my Dad's own little mood board!

The Red House

I have at last finished a major project which I have been working on all summer. It brings together my feelings about losing the family home and garden as my mother has moved into a care home and brings together my mother's favoured technique of cross stitch and my love of collage and using old bits and pieces. The cross stitch is not up to her standard but it is my way as I did not want to work on a grid.
This has been my year of exploring cross stitch and mixing it in to my work and there is more to come.

Seed heads

The seed heads in the hedgerows are so pretty now mixed in with a bit of green  till everything gets a bit limp and dead looking. Seed heads have been the inspiration for one of my most popular workshops and both dates for my Seed Heads courses have been fully booked for 6 months. Today though I heard that another user had cancelled their booking on the space where I teach so I am now able to offer a new date, Saturday 20th October. The course is £50 incl materials and will take place at The Hearth, Horsley 10-4.
Today is the first day I have advertised it so there are plenty of spaces.
Full details of the course are on my website HERE and please contact me there for information on how to pay.

Revisiitng the maidens

I was so pleased to yesterday return to Old St Stephens, Fylingdales. This perfect little church on a headland overlooking Robin Hood's Bay was so inspirational to me 10 years ago and I had a solo exhibition in the church in response to the Maiden's Garlands which are still hanging at the back of the church. My exhibition work can be seen HERE.
Nothing has changed and I was amazed to see that a replica garland I made then is still hanging at the front of the church and is ageing nicely. Hope it will still be there in 100 years time along with those of the four dead girls. If you are in North Yorkshire do go and visit the info is HERE

The four maiden's garlands

My maiden's garland hanging in the church for the last 10 years

view from the pulpit

Elizabeth Harland's grave. One of the garlands was made for her

Don't let the seagulls eat your chips if you are on holiday this week! I am  busy gathering things together to teach 2 weeks of summer schools at my studio in Northumberland. This is the first time I have done this since I used to teach print making summer schools 10 years ago and if it works well I may concentrate on running more longer  blocks of tuition as I know many of you who are abroad would like to participate. Anyway here is a textile seagull and a print making one too to keep you in the summer mood.

Wheatear

I love Wheatear stitch and the hedgerows and fields are rich with flowers and grasses despite the drought. In the north we have had the odd dull day and even a little rain which has helped to make this perhaps the best summer for a long time. Looking forward to teaching two weeks of Hedgerow to my summer schoolers.

Fleurs d'après Breughel

Have finished this piece recently. As you know I like to use old things, gifted items and charity shop finds and this is a charity shop unfinished tapestry which I have worked into with appliqué and stitch. I hope to do a series of these for exhibition but find the canvas a bit hard on my hands so have to be really motivated by the image! I love dahlias and zinnias together and these are freshly picked from my allotment where I have a cutting garden.